Can Philippines basketball recover from its leadership battle?

The troubled islanders failed to make their mark in the FIBA Asia tournament through injuries and bad breaks.

The recently-concluded FIBA Asia in Japan showed the ill effect of the Philippines’ suspension from all FIBA sanctioned basketball tournament for more than a year.

The suspension was brought about by the leadership struggles between the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the newly created Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). Before they clean up their respective acts, it’s already too late.

'Since you cannot discount the possibility of a marquee player having an off night, each player should be physically ready to deliver every given night'
The Philippine basketball team’s debacle in the FIBA Asia, which determines the region’s representative to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, showed that the country is still a step behind some Asian countries in terms of adjusting their games to international rules. It also showed some chinks in the armor of the RP Team when it comes to heft and size and also physical conditioning.

International tournament requires every player to be in tip-top shape come every game time. Since you cannot discount the possibility of a marquee player having an off night, each player should be physically ready to deliver every given night. Injuries are part of the bad breaks that could befall a team but as it may appear, the Philippine contingent succumb to various injuries as the tourney progresses.

Another factor is officiating. RP Team players are used to openly discussing their pleas to game officials back home, in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The technical foul awarded against the team for excessive complaining against a no-call by a referee caused them the crucial first game against Iran (the eventual champions).

At the time of the incident, momentum was on the side of the RP team as they trailed by only a solitary point. In a very close game, a single emotional outburst would cost the game. Considering that they won against China in the succeeding game, the game against Jordan would have determined the 1 and 2 ranking in Group A had they won against Iran.

If only the Philippines team had managed to hurdle their group, who knows what would have happened. The remaining survivors were teams that they have beaten before as shown in the recently concluded Jones Cup. It has boiled down to a case of “what ifs” for the RP Team: What if they had been bracketed on a lighter grouping? What if they had not taken a technical foul during the crucial moments of the Iran game? What if Danny Seigle had not been injured prior to the team’s departure to Japan?

But as coach Chot Reyes summed it up; the team was doomed in a span of less than an hour. But the silver lining is that the Philippine Team earned the respect from their peers and they all realised that they cannot take the Philippine Team lightly in the coming FIBA sanctioned competitions. That is, if the RP Team come well prepared…and the breaks go their way.